As we fall to the ground giggling, I try to catch my breath from running so much. It gets silent for a little bit, so I think of something to ask my friend, Bonnie.
"Hey, Bonnie, what does the sun look like?" I ask, "I hear that it hurts your eyes when you look at it!"
I hear Bonnie laugh, "It does! It's like.... Do you remember me explaining what a circle looks like?"
"Hmm..." I try to picture what she last explained a circle was. "Something....without bumps...they're usually...smooth...?" I say.
"Yep! Well, that's what the sun looks like! It's extremely hot and warms up the entire world!" Bonnie laughs and I giggle.
"What do letters look like?" I ask.
"Well...." I think Bonnie is having trouble explaining, so I think of something else to ask.
"Well, what does fire look like?" I question.
"Fire? Well. It can be large or small. Its shape is random, but it's spiky. It's very hot and you can die if you touch it - like the sun! The sun is fire!" Bonnie explains.
"The sun is fire?" I gasp, "DOES THAT MEAN IT'S GOING TO KILL US?" I sit up.
"No! At least...not that I know!" Bonnie says, "stars are basically fire and the sun is a star. At least that's what I learned in my science class."
"What do stars look like?" I ask, "do all stars look like the sun? Do stars heat up the Earth, just like the sun does? Why does the sun have a unique name, but all stars are just called....stars?" I ask.
"Stars look like tiny white spikes in the sky at night. They don't heat up the Earth, but I don't know how to answer the rest of your questions, I'm sorry," Bonnie explains.
"That's okay!" I say with a shrug. "What does the moon look like?"
"Well, it's like the sun, but it's white," Bonnie replies, "and doesn't heat up the Earth and it's not as big."
I lie back down on my back again, "what do you look like?" I ask after a moment of silence.
"Me?" Bonnie laughs, "I look ugly."
"Define ugly," I ask.
"Well.... Ugly is something that doesn't look nice," Bonnie responds.
"I bet you look pretty!" I smile.
"How do you know that if you can't see me?" Bonnie asks with a laugh.
"How do I know you're ugly if I can't see you?" I ask and she goes silent.
"Bonnie, it's time for dinner sweetie!" I hear Bonnie's mother shout.
"I have to go. We should hang out tomorrow, though!" Bonnie says and I agree.
A lot of years have passed by - we're finally moving in together! It's not a big house, but it's still a house, and we're thankful. We even made up our own "house rules," and just so I could read them, she put them in Braille.
Bonnie and I had a great childhood. We never gave up on each other, even when we fought. We even promised each other that we would definitely move in together, and it's finally happening.
She tells me one day, "hey, Charlotte?"
"What?" I ask.
"I've been saving money for the past sixteen years, since I was fifteen, to get the money for surgery for you so you can see."
I can't believe what I'm hearing right now, so I tell her to repeat, and I have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming.
"Are you....are you kidding me?" I ask.
Bonnie laughs, "not one bit!" I hear the sound of some things clinging together, "I have two entire jars filled with money ever since I was fifteen. Charlotte, you're going to see the world for the first time!" Bonnie exclaims. I start crying tears of joy and give her a tight hug. I can't believe this - I can't mentally or emotionally wrap my head around what I've just heard.
"Are...are you sure you want to spend so much on someone like me?" I ask hesitantly.
"Of course," Bonnie replies, "you're my best friend. There's nothing in this world I wouldn't do for you."
After the surgery, I'm honestly really anxious to open my eyes. I have Bonnie blindfold me, bring me home, and stand in front of a mirror.
The first thing I want to see is myself.
The second thing I want to see is Bonnie.
"Are you ready?" Bonnie asks.
"I'm...ready," I tell her with confidence. So she slowly unwraps the cloth that was covering my eyes, and I stare intently into the mirror.
I don't know how to explain myself - eyes look weird, hands look weird, faces look weird...
But I look over at Bonnie and smile as I can feel warmth fill up my cheeks.
"What are you blushing about?" Bonnie asks with a smirk.
"You're not ugly at all! You look just as gorgeous as I thought you weould," I tell her with a smile.
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